


Ethereal

by panslabyrinths



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:27:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22729885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panslabyrinths/pseuds/panslabyrinths
Summary: Din only wanted her to be happy.
Relationships: The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 28





	Ethereal

Ethereal.

That’s how he saw her, sitting in the green grass with her hair messily falling in her face. She was hunched forward, mouth moving as she spoke to the little womp rat of a child. Her eyes did not meet his larger, curious ones, and instead floated past him. The child’s hands reached out, palming her face with tiny hands - she smiled bigger at this and the Mandalorian holds his breath for the briefest of moments.

“You’ve been staring for an awfully long time.”

The Mandalorian bristled at the comment, looking over to find Cara staring in the direction he was just moments ago. He stood taller, looking back at the woman and child, “I’m just making sure they’re okay.”

“We’ve gotten rid of the raiders that were bothering these people,” Cara looked up at him, her eyes searching the T visor of his helmet, “She looks happy here and so does the child… I bet underneath that helmet and creed you look just as content as she does. Don’t you ever just think about settling down with the blind one and the child? ”

He _has_ thought about it. Long before even the child was in the picture and it was just him and her on the Razor Crest. She had been there for him through many fights, many wounds, and many sleepless nights. She had bothered him to no end, and had a mouth on her that often found him stepping in between her and another - but she was also reliable and he knew, if he allowed it, she would happily give her life for him. That was more than he could say for anyone he’s been in company with.

The woman looked away as the child’s hands left her face, and he moved away to follow another stray frog. Her face moved around, arm outreached to try and grasp the child. She barely missed the cloth that he wore, fingertips grazing the material. The Mandalorian was moving even before he could register, taking long and slow strides towards the two. 

He doesn’t even register that Cara had spoken again, murmuring a quiet ‘ _is that a yes?_ ’.

As soon as he is within reach of the child he kneels down, grasping the tiny green thing and bringing him into his arms. Mando doesn’t stand, instead turning to face the woman who’s looking towards him. If she never mentioned it, most would not know her to be blind. Though, her blindness did allow her “the privilege” of “seeing” light reflections (her words, the Mandalorian repeats to himself). Her eyes were not the thick cloudy grey most expected and were instead warm pools of honey. The iris itself, when looked at closely, was slightly deformed in both of her eyes. She never stared blankly past him, and always seemed to see him during the day time. 

Like right now, she looked right at him with a tiny smile. Again, the word ethereal floated through his mind. 

“Do you like it here?”

The question leaves her mouth softly, a tone of voice reserved for only calm moments like this. She was happy, the Mandalorian could see it so clearly. He knew she hated the restrictions of being on the ship, she had whined on more than one occasion that the sunlight “didn’t get through enough” - leaving her sightless. ( _‘You_ are _blind’ he’d remind her as she clung to his arm. ‘I like to be able to see you in the sunlight, Din’ would come her reply in a prolonged whine._ )

At the tilt of her head he realized he hadn’t replied. The Mandalorian sighed, setting the child down once more when he began to reach for the woman, “Yes.”

The woman hums, seemingly unconvinced as she leans down when the child’s hands find her face again. The Mandalorian tilts his head as he watches the interaction, tiny green hands palm at her cheeks, then her nose, then her lips - she blows a raspberry and the child lets out a screech of a giggle. The Mandalorian wants to smile at this, but can only frown as he focuses on the oncoming dread in the pit of his stomach.

“I won’t be staying here.”

She doesn’t look towards him as he speaks, and the Mandalorian shifts uncomfortably on his haunches for a moment.

After a long pause she replies, asking, “When will we be leaving?”

This is the conversation he had been thinking of before he began to admire her. Again, he finds himself tracing her features closely - soaking them in so he would never forget them. 

Beautifully tanned skin, and those eyes like honey. She complained about her hair often, long and in unruly waves as they cascaded down her back and in her face. Tiny scars scattered all over her, and he felt like he saw a new one everyday. None were as prominent as the long keloid scar on her hand, but the tiny ones he always tried to remember. 

“ _We_ won’t,” He can feel his palms sweating in his gloves and suddenly he wishes he could strip them off, “You will be staying here, with the child.”

Flashes of emotions cross her face in quick increments, as if she’s trying to decide what she wants to feel more in that moment.

She decides quickly, her face morphing into a look of hurt that he wished he could erase from his memory. Her eyes seem glossy, though he knows she won’t cry. But her cheeks start to flush, and her lips turn down while her brows furrow tightly in the middle of her forehead.

“You’re going to leave us?” Her tone is soft and disbelieving, and she breaths it with so much emotion that the Mandalorian has to look away from her. His heart tightens painfully in his chest, and he is disappointed that not even the beskar can protect him from this feeling.

“You could be happy here,” he tries to sound forceful, stern. But his voice instead only comes out as softly as hers did, soft and guilty. The Mandalorian hopes the modulator of his helmet helps aid in hiding the ache in his tone.

She grabs the child, sitting up straighter. With the child clung closely to her she stands, not looking in the direction of the Mandalorian anymore. He stands with her, and his hands twitch at his side as he resists the urge to reach out.

“Did you always want to get rid of me?” Her voice is stronger as the tone of her voice becomes more clear with hurt, “Is it because I can’t see?”

“No,” his reply this time is much more quick and confident. It was the truth.

Yes, she was not able to function, move and fight like others. He was more conscious of her and her inability to see but she was able to fight, she was able to hold her own for even a little bit and she was always able to patch the Mandalorian up in the confines of his ship because she couldn’t see. He trusted her enough to take care of him when wounds were too bad, and he had recruited her onto his ship because of her knowledge in medicine. Her being blind was not a factor in him leaving her and the child, it was truthfully the furthest thing from his mind.

He just wanted her to be _happy_.

The Mandalorian opens his mouth to tell her this, to explain that it was not because of her lack of sight. He didn’t _want_ to leave her behind, all he wanted was for her to be as happy as she had been on there time in Sorgan.

The shot is loud, and rings in his head for a moment before he’s rushing towards the child and the woman who holds him. He pulls her behind him, one arm securely on her waist while the other holds a blaster out. 

It turns out to be Cara, getting rid of a man who was sent after the child. The news breaks not only his heart but those in the village hoping the child would get to stay. The Mandalorian is somewhat distraught over the news, especially since _she_ had not said a word to him since their conversation. He understood her anger, and only hoped that it would dissipate once it was just the two of them again. 

Mando watches as she says her goodbyes to Cara and the Widow, smiling sadly at the two of them. Omera is pushing more clothes into her arms and Cara is patting her shoulder firmly. His companion only continues to smile sadly, one hand gripping onto Cara - who eventually leads her over to the Mandalorian. 

The ride back to the ship is long and quiet, and Mando watches her as she pets the top of the child’s head with a single finger. She refuses to look in his direction, though he knows she can hear his movements and see the light reflecting on his beskar. The three get back to the ship late, with the child snug and asleep in her arms. She steps closely to the Mandalorian but does not reach out as she usually did when they board his ship. He sighs at the revelation, and instead places his hand softly in the middle of her back as he guides her through the Razor Crest.

They settle, and he moves around in the cockpit for a moment alone as she puts the child to bed. Eventually, she joins him as he begins to prepare to leave. She buckles herself in and closes her eyes as she leans back into the seat. The Mandalorian watches her through his peripherals, and decides to speak before they leave.

“I only wanted you to be happy.”

“I know.”


End file.
